The fifth annual SUMS conference attracted students from as far away as Michigan and invited speakers from New Jersay and Texas.

Fifty-one student presenters. Twenty-nine presentations. Twenty posters. Two keynote speakers. Add them together and you have the vital statistics for this year’s Shenandoah Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics (SUMS) Conference hosted by JMU.

Students from as far as Michigan attended the October 3 conference, now in its fifth year.

“This year's student presentations were fantastic,” said Laura Taalman, co-director of SUMS and associate professor of mathematics and statistics at JMU. “Each year the undergraduate speakers at SUMS show an impressive level of mathematical sophistication and confidence in presenting their results, and this year was no exception.”

The one-day conference featured 15-minute talks and poster sessions, highlighting the world of collegiate undergraduate mathematical research. The projects covered a vast array of mathematical topics.

“Not only are students often surprised to find that undergraduate research in mathematics is possible, they are also interested to learn how varied this research can be,” said Elizabeth Theta Brown, associate professor of mathematics and statistics and co-director of SUMS. “For example, the mathematics of games and puzzles is a hot topic in undergraduate research, and our puzzle table at SUMS is always very well received.”

In addition to the student research, the conference brought keynote speakers from New Jersey and Texas. Dr. Doron Zeilberger of Rutgers University opened the conference with a talk about his work in the field of summation and the importance of engaging students in undergraduate research.

Dr. Michael Starbird of the University of Texas at Austin closed the conference, speaking about the abstract process of insightful thinking and creation of ideas, called the fourth dimension.

After running SUMS for five years, Taalman and Brown say they have a clear picture of how they want SUMS to turn out each year.

“This was in my opinion our best year,” said Taalman, “with record attendance, a record number of student speakers, and two fantastic invited addresses.”

The conference is supported by a National Science Foundation grant through the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conferences, the College of Science and Mathematics at JMU, the office of the special assistant to the president for diversity, the department of mathematics and statistics, and the national mathematics honor society, Pi Mu Epsilon.

This year’s student presenters were:

A student presenter discusses equations at this year's SUMS conference on October 3.

Sarah Kunkler, College of William and Mary The Protocol Paradox of Approval Voting